Sand Lizard
The Sand Lizard is widely distributed over large parts of Europe as well as Asia (Central Asia and the western part of Siberia).
Countries of occurrence are Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China (Xinjiang), Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom. The presence in Norway is uncertain.
Recently (since 2014) the species is recorded from several localities in the southwest of Finland. The total numbers here are at least in the hundreds. Still, the origin of this population is unclear.
The numbers are currently stable at the global level. The species is common in the southern and north-eastern part of the range, but local declines are recorded in United Kingdom, Scandinavia, northern Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia etc.
The main threat is habitat loss due to urbanization, intensive agriculture, tourism development etc.
Conservation
■ Listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats as a strictly protected fauna species.
■ Listed in Annex IV of EU Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats of wild fauna and flora (the Habitats Directive).
■ An especially protected species in Latvia (the Cabinet of Ministers’ Regulations No. 396 on November 14, 2000).
Taxonomy
■ Phylum Chordata – chordates
■ Class Reptilia – reptiles
■ Order Squamata – scaled reptiles
■ Family Lacertidae – wall lizards
■ Species Lacerta agilis – Sand Lizard
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